shave ice & gelato

Oh no girasoli, I'm sorry to hear about these health issues. I haven't heard of vasovagal reaction but it sounds a shade similar to orthostatic hypotension, which I've had all my life. I hope your cholesterol comes down. My own cholesterol is good and I eat ice cream nearly every day (er, did I say that out loud?), so there's hope your high levels are not caused by that particular food - I hate to think of you in Italy unable to enjoy gelato!!!
I'll be sending happy, cholesterol free, thoughts your way!

Wow, that is a lot of information -- interesting and shocking, indeed !!!

The cholesterol news is shocking because, as you point out, you are thin and careful about what you eat. But sometimes that doesn't matter-- my nephew was diagnosed at 18 with very high cholesterol. It seems that in some cases it can be genetic and not a result of the build up from bad habits.

I hope they can get your levels under control quickly so you won't have to skip gelato, which (as we all know) has many health benefits!

I have read that there are links between menopause and sudden increases in cholesterol levels (meaning that hormones have an impact) I wonder if that might apply to you? And did you mean that you skipped perimenopause and went straight to menopause? Or that you're not yet there at all.

And if you're not perimenopausal, why the hot flashes? Mind you, I thought I was perimenopausal and it turns out I'm not yet, I think what I have put down to hot flashes is more a reaction to stress.

And the vasovagil diagnosis is interesting -- I wonder what causes it? And is that why those fainting goats faint? Is it a serious condition or more of a nuisance?

It sounds like it is definitely time for you to have a good vacation and get away from all of this stress.

Take good care of yourself.

Oh Girasoli! I am sorry to hear this! I am glad the dizziness is not a symptom of something else, though.

As for the cholesterol, I don't really have any advice... Sounds like you are doing pretty much everything correctly already. I say ask your doctor for a longer period until the next test so that you won't have to skip gelato!!

Anne, I am sorry to hear that you have been dealing with dizzy spells also. They are pretty scary. Wow, orthostatic hypotension does sound very similar. I definitely have never been able to jump right out of bed without getting dizzy. I wonder if I have a little of both? My blood pressure has always been very low.

Sandra, yes, the hormone thing is probably definitely a factor and yes to your other question. Just like in Monopoly, I skipped right over the pm stage - “Go directly to jail, Do not pass go, Do not collect $200”. No easing in or anything. Just - Bam! I have arrived.

I have never head about the fainting goats?? Luckily this vasovagal thing does not happen that often, probably only 2 or 3 times a year. I think it is probably more of a nuisance than a serious problem. I was just glad to finally have a name for it.

Chiocciola, I agree, I do think that I am pretty much doing the right thing. I guess it was a good wake up call. I will just watch what I eat, but since I am already eating pretty healthy, I am not going to change to just eat carrots and celery. And anyways, I couldn’t do that since I also can easily become hypoglycemic. A few years ago a dietician actually told me to eat more fatty foods to prevent the hypoglycemic episodes.

I spent much of last night googling websites trying to figure out which foods are high in the bad fats and have high levels of cholesterol. Then I checked out the fat and cholesterol contents for everything I have in my house. Even the cheese and gelato I have is not that high in cholesterol and I rarely eat more than a few scoops of ice cream in one sitting and never daily (except for the scoop in my espresso in the morning which I have already stopped).

So, I tried to think back to when I my blood was tested and what I was eating during that time period. It was during the second week of my spring break. Although I love eggs, it usually takes me a month to eat 6 eggs. However, I seem to remember going on a mini egg salad craze during this break. Eggs are definitely the one thing that is extremely high in cholesterol. I am now thinking that perhaps my blood test was done after I ate all those eggs the week before.

I am going to call my family doctor (if I can ever remember to call him while I am at work) and make an appointment to have another blood test done. I think I will wait 3 or 4 weeks though before having the blood test done so that I can kick start my walking routine first.

I pretty much have gotten over the shock and if it is genetic, there is not much I can do. I spoke to a friend today who is also very thin, a little older than me, and eats similar to how I eat. She has high cholesterol, tried to do the diet thing and it didn’t work (although like me there was not much to change). She started taking medication and it went right down. She has not had any side effects. So, if I end up taking medication, so be it. The main thing is that my cholesterol levels go back down.

Gelato DOES have too many benefits to give up and since I will be walking miles and miles every day, and the gelato in Italy has less fat content (I read that somewhere a couple of years ago), I plan to continue to enjoy my daily or every other day gelato fix while in Italy.

Don’t you love blood tests? They reveal so many things about our bodies and how it’s behaving and although a bit worrisome, isn’t it good to know what’s going on inside our bodies?
I have also heard about the link between menopause and high cholesterol. I have two friends that enjoy good health, eat well and are thin and their cholesterol went up with menopause.
I just had my annual check-up and I didn’t quite pass with flying colors. Borderline sugar and cholesterol levels. I’ll have to make changes on my diet at home and while travelling. I think red wine is part of my doctor’s orders to good health. And gelato, too!

Take care, stay healthy and enjoy your trip to Italy and don't skip the gelato!

Girasoli, it sounds as if you're really on the right track -- stick with the gelato! I think things that make us happy are good for our health, and I have also read that Italian gelato IS lower in fat than premium North American brands. With genetics and hormones playing a role, those are things that you can't alter, so perhaps medication would be helpful.

I hope I didn't offend you with the fainting goats reference. They really are quite adorable -- you should google them sometime! They're actually a popular breed, what happens is when the little guys are startled, their muscles freeze for a minute or so, and they topple over. No harm done, but it's considered a virtue by farmers because they're less likely to try to jump fences and run off.

I hope your vasovagal condition is more a nuisance than anything serious -- perhaps the low blood pressure contributes and I hope it's a really rare occurance.

Take good care!

Wow, that's a lot to take in at one time! I'm glad it's not anything more serious though I'm sure it was a shock to get all that news in one doctor visit.

I can't remember where I read this, but I remember reading a nutrition article about why Americans have such problems with high cholesterol and people in other countries don't (esp. in places like France where they eat a lot of fat, cheese etc). It was all speculation but they implied that food combining (lots of greens and fresh foods along with the ice cream or cheese) plus exercise and staying away from over-processed food, could all combine to minimize the impact of eating foods with high saturated fat.

But I've also read that sometimes it's just genetic and not really connected to diet at all. I think you are smart to get a second check though. Hang in there! I know you are counting down the days until your vacation!

María, sorry to hear that you did not pass with flying colors either. I hope the diet plans you plan to make work for you. Yes, blood tests are quite interesting. It is amazing what can be found from a vial of blood.

Regarding the goats - no you definitely did not offend me :-) I just never heard of them before and wondered what they were all about. I googled "fainting goats" and found tons of posts on the subject. I also watched a couple of YouTube videos where the poor goats would suddenly drop to the ground and roll over. Strange phenomenon. I found out that Myotonia Congenita is the medical term and humans do suffer from this condition! Although, they don't suddenly drop to the ground and roll over.

Annie, yes it was just the shock mostly of all that news in one sitting since I wasn't expecting any of it.

Thank you again everyone for your support! It really means a lot to me.

Wow! Late to read about this!
How are you doing?
That's a worry, for sure, but it sounds to me like you are right in the beam! Doing what you need to do...good for you!
Take good care,
Hugs and more hugs,
Brenda

Susie, Donald found you on my bookmark bar and loved your Saturn story. I hadn't got around to do much more than admire your wonderful graphic that looks so much like rainbow shave ice, but poked around and loved your style of writing. Donald has all of a sudden been getting on the Mac and poking around. I think you have helped create a monster. We're going to have to have a sign up sheet!! What the heck is my URL??? (In case I want to post a comment.) Do I make up a name or use my own?? As you can tell this is my 1st experience with a blog. Sort of like a virgin!! Anyway I love the stories and comments. Hugs, Marcia

Marcia, that is so funny!! A URL is if you have a website - not required to leave a post. thanks so much for commenting and tell Donald that I am thrilled he has been enjoying my blog!